It might not be the next Google Android device, but the HTC S743 smartphone still has plenty to get excited about -- all while staying true to the companies commitment and support for the Windows Mobile 6.1 platform. Announced back in January at the Consumer Electronic Show, the HTC S743 is an update on the European S740, and much like that phone, the new model stands out first and foremost for its superior design. While maintaining its compact frame, HTC managed to still stuff in a full QWERTY keyboard plus all the applications and features needed by mobile professionals to stay connected on the fly. The HTC S743 retails for between $600 and $700.

HTC has always been about designing outside the box, and the S743 borrows some aspects from past phones like the Diamond and Touch Pro, while also coming up with some totally original features. By using a slider format, the HTC S743 is able to pack a full QWERTY keyboard into the gadget and still keep a 0.7-inch depth and 4.9-ounce weight. The thin profile will give you the impression of a candy-bar or flip-style phone, but make no mistake about it; this device is more than capable at handling a heavy dose of work e-mails and reports. The 2.4-inch display screen is bold and bright, but this is not part of the Touch product line that HTC has been building. TouchFLO is not included here, but instead you have the more traditional Windows Mobile, which might not have the same pleasing aesthetic, but for maximum information at a glance the operating system hits the mark.

There is not much to gripe about with the construction and layout of the HTC S743. The QWERTY keyboard is responsive and comfortable to use, and the sliding mechanism has a nice sturdy lock to it. However, there is no 3.5-millimeter headphone jack on the S743 and the microSD expansion slot is located under the SIM card slot, which seems a tad illogical. On the feature front, the HTC S743 is a very balanced phone, giving you quadband world roaming, voice commands and Bluetooth 2.0 that supports both mono and stereo headsets. The GPS functionality is integrated right into the system, but if you want real-time navigation and audio step-by-step directions, you will need to add an additional service. The camera here is 3.2 megapixels, and is located on the back. There are video recording capabilities, but both the still and video clips are somewhat blurry and dull. Call quality also leaves something to be desired, with noticeable background hiss from time to time. Due to such stiff competition from other high-end phones in the same (or even lower) cost range, it makes the HTC S743 a solid, but still not a fully recommendable gadget.